Many people called Terrance Manning “Skillz,” and his growing success in different fields show that he deserved the nickname.

Known as Skillz Hurachi, the Steelton rapper had opened for nationally known superstars Drake, Lil’ Wayne and Soulja Boy as a member of the rap trio VSOP/XO. He was slated to perform his first solo concert Friday at the Seabash restaurant in Harrisburg.

A tattoo artist, his work was about to be featured on UrbanInk.com, one of the top African American tattoo sites in the country. He also produced custom T-shirts.

Today, he planned to celebrate his 26th birthday at a bash filled with friends.

“He did everything to the best of his ability,” said Jamar Brown, his best friend. “That’s why his name was Skillz.”

“His talent is unmeasurable, it really is,” Brown said, with his voice breaking. “It’s like he had no ceiling to his talent.”

Brown, a rapper known as Nino Marron, gave Manning the second part of his nickname — Hurachi. “It’s a pair of sneakers that are just sly and flashy,” he said, which was fitting for a man described as the life of the party.

Together with Zach Klaus, they became the VSOP/XO rap trio, performing at Kipona and opening for nationally acclaimed acts. No matter how successful they were, Manning never let them rest on their laurels, Brown said.

“Everything that we did, he pushed us to go further,” he said. “We did so much together and had so much to accomplish in life.”

Manning produced beats for music, made custom T-shirts and was gaining acclaim as a well-known tattoo artist in the community.

His shirts are how Manning met Jason Bair, a Harrisburg rapper known as J. Bair. At the time Bair was managing a clothing store.

“This young ambitious guy came in by himself and he had some clothes he wanted to see get in the store,” Bair said.

That fearless drive for success made an impression on Bair, who later developed a friendship with Manning.

“There has never been one time I’ve been around this guy that I did not laugh,” Bair said. “He always made you laugh and he always made you smile, no matter the circumstances.”

“You always hear people say nice things about people who pass, but with him it’s legit,” Bair said. “He was the best of us. He was a human being so he had his flaws, but he was just a good person.”

Bair paused. “He was one of those people that if you don’t like him, then there’s something wrong with you.”

For Bair, Manning will be best remembered for his cheerful, fun loving personality.

“He was just a lovable guy,” he said. “No matter what your mood was, once you’re around him you’re going to feel better. He just had that personality.”

That cheerful personality made Manning incredibly charismatic.

“His voice, as soon as you heard him speak, you knew it was going to be a good time,” Brown said. “The way he moved, people emulated him... he had a catch phrase that he would have people say at parties and it would stick with people so much that they would actually get it tattooed on them.”

One of the most popular catch phrases was “oOw!” It was how Manning got a crowd worked up during a performance. He’d have the crowd repeat it after him if they were having a good time. And crowds repeated it enthusiastically.

This week, Manning was scheduled to have a photo shoot for the Urban Ink magazine and website to showcase his tattoo artistry.

Brown and Manning were inseparable. “Skillz and Nino, that’s like Batman and Robin,” Brown said. “You know you don’t see one without the other and that’s how it worked for years.”

“We had so many things to do and accomplish,” Brown said. “I have no choice but to carry on his legacy.”

As if shaking off the sadness, Brown continued. “Skillz was always cracking jokes.” Brown said a friend told him, ‘You know Skillz’s laughing at us [crying] don’t you? We got to cut this out.’”

And he did.

Manning is survived by two sisters, Tomia Manning and Mosette Wright, and two brothers, Julius Ward Sr. and Derrick White. Manning’s sisters currently reside in Philadelphia, while his brothers are both in active military service.

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